Jasper Jones

My wife and I watched this movie at home on DVD from our public library. It is mostly unmemorable but has a number of good actors in it.

Set in a small Western Australia community, Corrigan, it is 1969 and some locals have lost sons in the war in Vietnam. This creates some racial tension with a local Vietnamese family.

Jasper Jones is a teenage boy living there, he is mistrusted because of his mixed race heritage, a white father and an Aboriginal mother. He is also angry because of the way he perceives himself.

The boys stumble upon a person hanging from a tree, they quickly assume it is the work of the old man that people whisper about.

So the movie is sort of a slice of life in this community, how people behave and react to what is going on. And the resolution of circumstances involving the deceased. Plus young Charlie's coming of age.

It is an interesting 1.5+ hour movie.

I read this book after seeing Belvoir's mesmeric stage production, which so perfectly captured the claustrophobia of a small town in Western Australia in the 1960s. No movie was ever going to manage that and, as much as I love Toni Collette and Hugo Weaving I would have loved to see the same cast in the movie as I saw onstage. That said I couldn't help but become entwined in the lives of these young people and their community. Themes of racism, domestic violence and marriage breakdown are handled openly but sensitively. This story reminds of another favourite, 'The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night Time'. If you like this book then I recommend 'Jasper Jones'.

When a bookish teenager helps solve a mystery death to avoid his aboriginal friend being blamed, he digs deep to find the courage to sort out the mess of his family and friends' lives.

Set in a rural 1960s town, a young Levi Miller takes a worthy turn at a Mark Twain style hero who, sustained by a childhood wonder about important things like Batman's superpowers, is caught up in a tragedy which uncovers far more about the dark nature of people than any child should know. Toni Collete as a depressed mother and Hugo Weaving as a the town's recluse give the story emotional depth, and director Rachel Perkin brings out the simmering malevolence in an everyday setting.

Based on a contemporary novel, the casual racism and intolerance is particularly relevant to our times. Worth seeing for- Levi Miller & Hugo Weaving. 8/10

Rachel Perkins has directed another terrific, simple, Australian film here. Adds to illustrious titles including Radiance and Bran Nue Day. There was certainly good material to work with, being based on the young adult book by Craig Silvey, who has also co-written the screenplay. It looks nice, still has currency today and the acting is once again terrific from most of the players. Toni Collette as usual, Hugo Weaving in a cameo role. An understated but really good Dan Wylie, and a terrific performance from young Levi Miller. All in all a really well made film.

Set in the small Western Australian town of Corrigan, in 1969, this Australian indie has loads of concurrent themes abounding, including a murder mystery, the blatant racism of the time, sexual molestation, infidelity, loyalty, friendship, and the list goes on.

Although the film may have thrown "one iron into the fire" too many, I still found it to be quite engaging, and it kept my interest as to how this would all play out. There's a strong cast here as well, led by Levi Miller, Toni Collette, Angourie Rice, Aaron McGrath, and Dan Wylie.

Overall, this coming-of-age tale, directed by Rachel Perkins, with a screenplay by Shaun Grant and Craig Silvey, based on his novel, may not always work, but it contains some solid twists and surprises and it kept my interest throughout.